Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte: Likely everyday second baseman

Marte appears to be in line to open the year as the Diamondbacks' primary second baseman and backup shortstop, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.

Analysis:

The Diamondbacks appear inclined to favor defense to offense, which is why Nick Ahmed is the frontrunner to be the primary shortstop, while Chris Owings and Daniel Descalso appear poised to serve as utility options. Marte was a plus defender at shortstop last season, so he figures to be one of the game's best defensive second basemen. He has the speed to be more of a threat on the bases than he was last year (13 stolen-base attempts between Triple-A and MLB), and a lot of his fantasy value hinges on him being more aggressive in that regard. Marte is a good bet to improve on the .260 average he posted last season -- most projection systems have him hitting above .280. While he posted a .514 slugging percentage in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, it's unlikely that he reaches double-digit home runs, even with a full season's worth of MLB at-bats.